


As Crooked Smiles Fade

by chromyrose



Series: SASO 2017 [4]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Gen, Jealousy, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 16:22:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11211750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chromyrose/pseuds/chromyrose
Summary: JJ is understandably upset after the Barcelona Grand Prix Final, but not for the reasons Otabek thinks.





	As Crooked Smiles Fade

**Author's Note:**

> I remember reading some meta around the airing of episode 10 that planted the seed of an Otabek & JJ friendship in my mind, and I'm really happy I got to explore both the relationship and the direct reactions I had to those meta posts. I hope you guys all enjoy this! 
> 
> The prompt was "The everyone-is-friends-with-JJ AU." The title comes from the Fall Out Boy song "The Kids Aren't Alright."

Otabek was surprised when he didn’t immediately spot JJ upon entering the ballroom of the post-GPF gala. In all the time he’d known the Canadian skater, since his time training in Canada and competing against JJ at the junior level, he’d taken it as fact that JJ was not always only first to the party, he often _was_ the party; loud, boisterous, and demanding everyone’s attention whether they wanted to give it or not. 

The madness of the past few days, literal and otherwise, had made it hard for Otabek to find time to have a conversation with his friend. The next morning he was taking an early flight back to Almaty, so the gala was the last and only chance he would have to see JJ during the Grand Prix season. Being unable to find him was disconcerting, to say the least.

Otabek skirted the edge of the party, avoiding the dance floor in particular. JJ was tall enough that he would have stood out, if he was there, and Otabek had seen enough of Christophe in his underwear for a lifetime at last year’s gala. Not quite watching where he was going, he bumped into someone and apologized reflexively. 

“I’m sorry – oh, Emil,” he observed, looking up into a familiar smiling face. “I didn’t know you would be here.” 

“I came with Mickey to cheer Sara on,” he explained. “I watched the Men’s programs, too. You were amazing, Otabek.” 

“Thank you.”

“I guess it really takes a lot to win, though…” Emil continued, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Otabek had to remind himself that he and Emil were the same age. “Everyone is so talented. JJ managed to pull off a bronze even after he had a meltdown during his short program! It’s kind of crazy, isn’t it?” 

Otabek hummed noncommittally; he didn’t know why JJ panicked so uncharacteristically, and wanted to reserve judgment until he did. Yuri was incensed over the fact that JJ beat him out for the bronze, but Otabek was more concerned than anything. 

Which was all the more reason to find his friend.

“Speaking of which, have you seen JJ?” Otabek asked, figuring he could put Emil’s height to work for him. Sure enough, Emil gestured towards the tables in the back of the ballroom. 

“He was sitting over there with his fiancée earlier,” Emil offered helpfully. “I think his parents were trying to field the press. Those guys were circling him like vultures.” 

Emil looked soft and sympathetic, and Otabek made a note to try and talk to him again the next time they ran into one another; he seemed like he’d be a good friend. For the moment, though, he had more pressing concerns, and he excused himself to wade through the crowd. Before he could spot JJ, though, he heard Isabella’s voice call out his name. 

“There you are, Otabek,” she sighed as he approached their table, pushing one of the chairs out with her leg. Otabek nodded and took a seat. “We were beginning to wonder if we’d get to see you at all this time.” 

“Where’s your girlfriend?” JJ added, his voice a little too tight to be genuine curiosity. To Otabek’s ears he sounded uncharacteristically cool. 

“Girlfriend…?”

Isabella huffed and smacked JJ’s arm. “Don’t mind him, he’s being a sourpuss today. Are you enjoying the party?”

“It’s alright,” Otabek said politely. Isabella nodded and rose from her seat. 

“Alright, well, I need to use the bathroom. I’ll leave JJ in your capable hands, Otabek. JJ,” she added sharply, turning to her fiancé. “Be good.” 

JJ outright pouted, and buried his face in his fist, elbow propped up on the table. “I’m always good,” he protested. Isabella rolled her eyes, but kissed his forehead nonetheless as she walked past him and out of the room. 

There was silence for a moment, and then JJ looked critically at Otabek. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to let your little Russian kitten wander on his own?” 

“…Are you referring to Yuri? Is that who you meant by my ‘girlfriend’?” 

“Who else? You’ve spent all week with him, haven’t you?” 

“JJ,” Otabek started slowly, completely incredulous, “are you _jealous_ of Yuri?” 

The furrow in JJ’s brow deepened. “I’ve got no reason to be jealous of a kid.” 

_Except that he’s the Gold medalist, and that he set a new Short Program record,_ Otabek thought, though he wisely kept these observations to himself. Aloud, he said, “That’s right.” 

“It’s not like he’s not out to take everything from me. Him and his name double!” 

“Excuse me?” 

“The gold medal. The silver medal. The limelight!” JJ lamented dramatically, a shade of his older self coming through the bitterness. “I was supposed to win this all. King JJ had everything riding on this competition!”

“You’re wearing the bronze medal right now,” Otabek deadpanned. 

“Bronze isn’t good enough for Isabella.” 

“Really? Because she doesn’t seem upset with you.” 

“Bronze isn’t good enough for _me_ to have Isabella. Especially not when it comes with a healthy dose of media humiliation, and with my best friend replacing me for an upgraded model.” 

Best friend? If Otabek’s gut was leading him right… “You think I replaced you?”

“You gave his finger a blow job as part of his exhibition skate.”

Otabek willed his face not to flush, though he could already feel the telltale warmth in his cheeks. “That has nothing to do with my friendship with you, JJ.” He argued quite reasonably. So it didn’t make sense when JJ looked down at him, blue eyes burning. 

“Oh yeah?” He scoffed in a failed attempt at flippancy. “What about when you turned down eating with me and Isabella because you ‘wanted to be alone,’ only for us to find you with him and all the rest of them that same evening?” 

“What?” Otabek asked, caught off guard, but he remembered it immediately thereafter. 

“The day before the first day of competition. I asked if you wanted to get lunch with us, you said you were going to eat alone, but then we ran into you with all those other guys. I was the only guy competing who hadn’t been invited,” he huffed with genuine malice. Or no, Otabek realized, genuine _hurt_. 

“I didn’t mean to–“ Otabek started before interrupting himself. He took a moment to organize his thoughts, then spoke succinctly. “I really was planning on spending that afternoon by myself. Running into Yuri was a coincidence… but I did get caught up in his company. That doesn’t mean I think he’s better than you.” 

JJ gave Otabek a flat look that he hadn’t even realized JJ could be capable of. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed softly.

“I’m sorry for hurting your feelings, JJ,” he said firmly, leaving what he hoped was no room for arguments. “I don’t regret spending time with Yuri, and as my friend you shouldn’t try to make me feel guilty for it, but I admit I could have been better to you.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “At the very least, I probably should have defended you when they all made fun of your haircut…” 

“They what?!” JJ squawked. “B-but… but it’s _cool_. And you have the same haircut anyways! And… you’re laughing–“ He gasped. “You’re fucking with me.” 

Otabek grinned, and JJ punched him in the arm. “You’re the worst,” he complained.

“And you’d know, because you’re the best. Right, King JJ?” 

JJ smiled toothily, and threw his head back with the pride befitting a self-titled monarch. Otabek sighed, but with a small smile of his own; everything was right with the world.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, hit me up on [twitter](http://twitter.com/haikyuutiie) and come be my friend!


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